Men's Hockey | 4/22/2013 10:58:00 AM

ROCHESTER, NY – Senior forward Jeff Smith (Spokane, WA/Tri-City Storm) garnered three individual honors, while classmate Chris Saracino (St. Louis, MO/Green Bay Gamblers) earned a pair of individual honors, as the RIT men's hockey team announced its 2012-13 team award winners on Saturday, April 20 at the RITz Sports Zone.  In all, six members of the RIT men's hockey community won awards.
 
Smith was given the Louis Spiotti Jr. Coaches Award, as a player who embodies RIT hockey, and was co-winner of the Greg Moss Hard Hat Award, given to a player who performs at a high level and does it with very little fanfare. He also won the Dan Barrows Fan's Choice award. Smith enjoyed a tremendous senior season, emerging as a valuable offensive threat, leading the team with 14 goals, while chipping in 11 assists. Smith was a two-time AHA Player of the Week, earning honors on Oct. 15 and Jan. 21. Thirteen of Smith's 14 goals came at even strength.
 
Saracino, RIT's captain, was awarded the Tim Cordick Award, given to the team's best defenseman, and the Art Thomas Teammate award. Saracino enjoyed an excellent senior season, scoring 11 goals, while adding 21 assists for 32 points in 38 games. His 11 goals tied a RIT Division I single-season record for goals by a defenseman, while his 32 points was tied for third most nationally among all blue-liners. Saracino was the leader of one of the nation's best power-play units, scoring five goals with the man-advantage. He was tied for the scoring lead among defensemen in league play, with 24 points on a league best eight goals and 16 assists in 27 conference games.
 
Sophomore Matt Garbowsky (St. George, Ontario/Powell River Kings) shared the Greg Moss Hard Hat Award with Smith. Garbowsky used a torrid late season run to lead the team in scoring with 33 points on 11 goals and 22 assists. Over his final 11 games, Garbowsky tallied 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists and finished the year as one of the national leaders with 493 face-offs won. Garbowsky recorded a career-high four points in a 7-1 win over American International in game two of the AHA Quarterfinals on March 9. He recorded nine multiple-point games during the season and played in every role, from top-line center, on the power-play, and the penalty killing unit.
 
The Craig Lauzon award for the top newcomer was awarded to freshman forward Dan Schuler (Webster, NY/Powell River Kings). Schuler enjoyed a brilliant rookie season, emerging as a top penalty killer while showing offensive touch as the season progressed. Schuler tallied 16 points on the season and was a team-best plus-11. He was a two-time AHA Rookie of the Week selection on Feb. 18 and March 11.
 
Junior defenseman Greg Noyes (Lucan, Ontario/Salmon Arm Silverbacks) was honored with the Green B. Williams Award for Academic Excellence.  Noyes was tied for seventh nationally among all Division I defenseman with 29 points. Noyes tallied nine goals and 20 assists in 38 games, with 15 points (6-9-15) coming on the power-play. Noyes, a packaging science major, recorded a 3.89 grade-point average during the 2012-13 season.
 
The Dr. Albert J. Simone Distinguished Service Award is given annually to a member of the RIT hockey community who makes a positive impact on the program.  This year, the award went to Margot Clements, Administrative Assistant to both the RIT men's and women's hockey teams. Clements plays a vital role behind the scenes of the men's program. 
 
RIT finished the 2012-13 season with a 15-18-6 record, advancing to the AHA Quarterfinals for the sixth straight season, and had one of the nation's most explosive offensive units. RIT opened the season with an overtime win on the road at perennial power Michigan, who was ranked third in the country.
 
Offensively, RIT enjoyed tremendous depth, seven players finished with between 25 and 33 points, while eight had at least nine goals, and six players finished in double digits. RIT's 3.21 goals per game were the ninth most in all of Division I.